Monday, April 14, 2008

The blood on our hands


I first saw this painting, Picasso's "Guernica", at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1978. It was directly adjacent to the elevator on the third floor, so that when the doors opened and you stepped out, this painting - which is huge, 137.4 x 305.5 in. - confronted you like a lead fist to the gut. I can't recall any time in my life when I have been so moved by a work of art, which is really saying something since I tend to get pretty emotional about art.

Readers of this blog will know that I have a hard time writing about the torture issue. It just overwhelms me, and I find words inadequate. Furthermore, others have written extensively on the subject far better than I ever could - I can't seem to come up with anything that doesn't sound maudlin, trite, or just plain stupid.

I think Picasso comes pretty damn close, in this painting, to expressing what I feel. But here is another post (H/T Atrios) that hits the bullseye also, and has the added benefit of yet another piece of art that captures what must be the exact sentiment of all of us who have observed this train wreck of an administration work its evil on our country and the world for the last 8 years.

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